Cooking up a plan to save water in the kitchen

Q: Dear Ed: My proposed kitchen remodel will include new appliances, countertops, sink and faucet. Since I plan to use efficient appliances, I also want an efficient kitchen faucet. Can you please go over some water-saving kitchen faucet information for me to think about?

— Sasha, Mississippi

A: In past years, water-saving kitchen faucets have not received as much attention as water-saving bathroom faucets. The thinking was in the kitchen a lot of the water use was to fill things like pots for cooking and cups for drinking. What difference would it make if the faucet used less gallons per minute (gpm), since the end goal was to fill up the pot or cup? However, even with a dishwasher, pots, pans, cups and dishes do get washed in the sink as well.

So, since every drop counts, there is a new push to start installing water-saving kitchen faucets. Usually an efficient kitchen faucet uses less than 1.9 gpm.

But, don’t be a drip, check local codes and choose an approved water-saving kitchen faucet for your area.

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Master Contractor/Plumber Ed Del Grande is known internationally as the author of the book "Ed Del Grande's House Call," the host of TV and Internet shows, and a LEED green associate. Visit eddelgrande.com or write eadelg@cs.com

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